Wheat noodles in Japan (udon) were adapted from a Chinese recipe by a Buddhist monk as early as the 9th century.[citation needed]Reshteh noodles were eaten by the people of Persia by the 13th century. Innovations continued, as for example, noodles made from buckwheat (naengmyeon) were developed in the JoseonDynasty of Korea (1392–1897). Ramen noodles, based on Chinese noodles, became popular in Japan by 1900.

Instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando and first marketed in Japan in 1958.According to Ando's method, a bundle of fresh noodles is flash-fried, which dries them out and provides for a long shelf life.